The Los Angeles Angels (13-23) travel to face off against the Pittsburgh Pirates (17-20) on Wednesday, May 8th. This game will be played at PNC Park in Pittsburgh and televised on SN PT. The Angels are coming off a win in their previous game, while the Pirates are looking to get back on track from a loss to the Angels. First pitch is set for 12:35 ET.
Angels vs Pirates
Los Angeles cruised to a 9-0 win over the Pirates in the most recent game of this series. The Angels had a huge 4th inning, scoring three of their nine runs. As for the Pirates, they had their best chance to score in the 5th, but could only muster three hits.
Patrick Sandoval started for the Angels and picked up the win, going seven innings and not giving up a run. He finished the game with seven strikeouts but issued just one walk. On the other side, Quinn Priester got the start for the Pirates and took the loss, giving up three earned runs in just 4 2/3 innings of work.
Kevin Pillar and Logan O’Hoppe each homered for the Angels, while Nolan Schanuel scored three times and drove in a run while going 2/6. Mickey Moniak also had a two-hit game and drove in two for Los Angeles’ offense.
With a record of 13-23, the Angels are 4th in the AL West, trailing the Rangers by 7.5 games. So far, they have yet to play a game in the AL West. The Angels are looking to pick up a win today, as they have dropped seven of their last ten games.
At home, the Angels are just 4-11 this year, and they are only a game above .500 at 9-12 on the road. So far, they have really struggled in day games, going 3-12. Los Angeles has really struggled as the underdog this year, as their overall record is 12-20.
When the Angels win, they win big, with an average run margin of +4.2 runs per game. But when they lose, they lose big, with an average run margin of -3.9 runs per game. Overall, the Angels have a run line record of 17-19, but they are 12-9 against the run line on the road. They are 5-10 against the run line at home, and they are 17-15 against the run line as the underdog. They have yet to cover the run line in any game in which they are favored.
Los Angeles Angels games have gone over the total in 9 of 14 games with an over/under line of 8.5 runs this season. The Angels have a combined run average of 9.2 runs per game this season, and their games have gone over the total in 19 of 35 games overall. Today’s over/under line is 8.5 runs, and the Angels have played 12 games with higher lines than that this season, with those games averaging 9.3 runs per game.
José Soriano Gets The Start For The Angels
José Soriano is getting the start for the Angels today and comes in with a record of 1-4 and ERA of 3.77. So far, he has made six starts and two of them have been quality starts. Per nine innings, Soriano is averaging 8.16 strikeouts and 4.71 walks. The right-hander has been much better on the road, coming in with a record of 1-1 and 0.45 ERA. At home, his ERA is 13.2, and he is 0-3. In his most recent outing, Soriano didn’t allow a run in six innings of work, picking up the win. Before that, he had allowed at least three runs in three straight outings.
Angels Offense Breakdown
So far this season, the Angels offense has been pretty average, as they are 19th in the league in scoring at 4.1 runs per game. They have been a little better in terms of home runs, as their 39 homers are the 7th most in the league. Los Angeles is also batting a collective .243, which is the 12th best mark in the league.
Mike Trout has been the Angels’ top power threat this season, with his 10 home runs being the 2nd most in the league. However, he is batting just .220. Taylor Ward is batting .271 for the season and is 2nd on the team with seven homers. Over his last four games, Kevin Pillar has gone 4/11 with two homers and six RBIs.
Pittsburgh is 17-20 overall this season, and they are 3rd in the NL Central, five games behind the Cubs for the division lead. The Pirates have gone 2-2 in divisional games so far this year. The team is looking to even up their series vs. the Angels today, and they are 4-4-3 in series this year.
At home, the Pirates are 8-9 this year and 9-11 on the road. So far, they have really struggled as the favorite, going 6-10, but they are above .500 at 11-10 as the underdog. Looking at their overall play, the Pirates have gone 4-6 over their last 10 games.
The Pirates have been a solid bet against the run line this season, going 19-18 overall. They have been even better on the road, going 11-9 against the run line. As the underdog, they are an impressive 14-7 vs. the run line. Their average run margin in winning games is +2.7, while it drops to -3.4 in losses.
Despite the Pittsburgh Pirates’ combined run average of 7.6, they have had just two games this season with over/under lines set at 8.5 runs. The over/under record for the Pirates is 15-22, and when the line is set at 8.5 runs, their record is 8-5. Today’s over/under line is set at 8.5 runs.
Martín Pérez Gets The Start For The Pirates
Martín Pérez gets the start for the Pirates today and will be looking to bounce back from a rough outing vs. the Rockies. In that May 3rd start, he took the loss, going 5 1/3 innings and giving up three earned runs. Looking at his overall numbers, Perez has made seven starts, and his ERA is 3.15. Opponents are batting .264 off the left-hander this season. So far, he has turned in three quality starts and is averaging 6.98 strikeouts per nine innings. Perez’s record for the season is 1-2.
Pirates Offense Breakdown
Collectively, the Pirates are batting just .221 this season, which is 21st in the league. They have been one of the worst home run hitting teams in the league and are also near the bottom of the league in terms of isolated power. Pittsburgh’s team batting average is just .221, and they are averaging only 3.5 runs per game.
Oneil Cruz and Edward Olivares are tied for the team lead in home runs, but both players are batting under .245 for the season. Bryan Reynolds is hitting .245 for the season and leads the team with 17 RBIs. Over his last seven games, Reynolds is 6/23 with two homers. Olivares and Connor Joe have also homered in their last seven games. Olivares is just 4/21 in that stretch, and Joe is 6/22.
Angels vs Pirates Prediction
Our predicted final score for this Angels vs. Pirates matchup is 5-4 in favor of the Pirates. With the Pirates picking up the win, we recommend taking them on the money line, where the payout is at -133.
Looking at the starting pitchers, we have Martin Perez finishing with four strikeouts compared to Jose Soriano, who we have racking up seven K’s. Perez is also projected to go deeper into the game, with Soriano ranking 20th among starters in terms of projected innings.
All odds are courtesy of Action247 Sportsbook. Good luck!!
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Last updated:May 8, 2024 Angels, Pirates